Peripheral Vertigo

True vertigo is a hallucination of movement that is characterized by a feeling that the body or environment is moving. People with vertigo often report feeling the sensation of rotation or spinning. It often begins abruptly and, if severe, is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and staggering gait.

Peripheral vertigo is defined as vertigo that results from any condition affecting the vestibular system of the ear.

The most common conditions causing vertigo include viral labyrinthitis, vestibular neuronitis, benign proximal vertigo, serous otitis, peri-lymphatic fistulas, Ménière's disease, and medications such as the aminoglycosides or alcohol.